Camels are well-known for their 0 ability to survive the heat of the desert; however, scientists have unearthed the fossilised remains of a giant camel that 17 the forests of the High Arctic more than three million years ago. The ancient beast was almost three metres in 18 , about a third bigger than its modern 19 , the Arabian camel. Remains of the animal were found on Ellesmere Island, the most northerly and 20 island of the Canadian Arctic archipelago.

21 from previous expeditions have shown that the camel’s ancestors 22 in North America 45 million years ago, but this is the first evidence of camels so far north. According to Mike Buckley, a researcher who studied the latest remains, this ancestor of modern camels may already have developed some of the 23 that helped it survive in harsh climates – the hump for fat 24 for instance, the large flat feet ideal for either snow or sand, and the big eyes that perhaps helped when long, dark winters made visibility poor.